Along the same line as file size, a bandwidth problem can be an effect of a well-done video. Developers need to take into account the fact that, for high-traffic sites, video delivery through Flash is still video delivery; it can be bandwidth intensive.

Use a streaming media server if you expect multiple concurrent sessions. And, if your site does reach a level of popularity where the video is being delivered to a large, loyal audience, you will want to offload the video delivery responsibility to a reliable third-party that is familiar with the complexities-- companies like Limelight, Akamai and Adobe all offer this type of streaming media service.

Through this practice, you will be sure to deliver the video rather than provide a poor user experience that is nearly the equivalent of an unsightly 404 error.

Victoria Secret's webcast of its fashion show is the perfect example of something that could crash a site, which it has done, if done incorrectly.

There have been stories of sites going down because of unexpected popularity. Some of the causes can be broadcast exposure like Oprah or The Today Show; print exposure such as the front page of the Wall Street Journal or blog exposure on TechCrunch, SlashDot or Digg. A popular phrase within the IT department on such occasions may be, “Oh, crap… we’ve been SlashDotted.”